Organizing pots and pans can be tricky and it requires a lot of patience. But with the correct methods and pot and pan organizers, you will not have to worry. These cooking essentials require a prime position in your kitchen, trust me.
Organizing your pots and pans in the kitchen storage saves you a lot of effort in the long run and your time while cooking. Here is a comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to organize pans and pots, with a lot of tips mixed in.

First Step: What To Do Before Actually Organizing

Here is what you need to do before you start organizing your pots and pans.

1- Access the Previous Storage

The first thing you will have to do during the organization process is to go through the previous storage of the pots and pans. Take out everything and decide what type of storage you will need for a better organization or a practical kitchen.

2- Get rid of items you don’t need

If you are not a professional chef, having a big cookware collection or multiple pots and pans of different sizes is useless. Even if you have a pull-out organizer for pots and pans, you will not be able to store everything and make it look organized. Therefore, it is necessary to keep the collection small and take out the pots and pans you don’t need regularly.

Get To Organizing: Top Organization Items for Pots & Pans

Now that you have taken out all your unnecessary cookware and have realized what you need and don’t need, it is time to decide between some of the most efficient and considerable pots and pans organizing methods. So go through all of the options below and just the right one for your space:

1- Hang them from Pot Rails

You don’t need cabinets to store your pots and pans. The easiest and cheapest way is to install rails on the wall, across the window, or ceiling. Wherever you find it most convenient. These rails make the whole organization a lot easier as you can hang pots and pans from the rails. You can get a good quality pot and pans rail from Amazon.

2- Use a Pots & Lids Organizer

Another way of storing pots and pans is to stack all similar-shaped pots and pans onto one another. This will only be possible if you store the lids separately. You can store these lids at the back of the cabinet door or on the pantry wall.

Or you can use a pots and pans organizer.

3- Use Vertical Pot Rack

A vertical pan organizer is always a great option to store your pots and pans if you don’t have cabinets or enough storage space. You can get a variety of unique and stylish vertical pot racks that can make the whole pots and pans process a lot easier and more convenient.

4- Nest your Pots and Pans with Pot Protectors

While organizing your pots and pans, you must not forget to nest them with protectors, so all the hustle and bustle around the kitchen doesn’t ruin your cookware.

There are different types of protectors that you can get on Amazon or even from your nearest store. Here are some cookware protectors that caught my eye.

5- Set them on Rolling Cart

Most think a rolling cart is not practical when organizing pots and pans. But it is a great option, especially if you have a spacious kitchen. You can arrange your pots and pans, alongside other kitchen items, on the pots and pans rolling cart and put them in a corner. Whenever you need it, you can move it however you want.

6- Hang the Pots and Pans on a Kitchen Pegboard

This is one of the simplest DIY options for organizing your pots and pans. If you don’t want to use a rail on your wall, you can utilize your wall by installing a pegboard and then hanging all your pots and pans on it. You can get creative with the accessories you use on this board, and you will be good. The one I recommend (see below) also comes in a lot of colors, so win-win.

In Conclusion

I personally know the struggles of getting pots and pans organized, especially because I have a small kitchen. But with the right tips and the right organizers, you can make your space as practical as it gets.

The various organizers and storage ideas I provided will hopefully help you organize your pots and pans in the best possible way, without taking considerable space. Make sure not to crowd your kitchen too much and keep your frequently used pots and pans near your cooking space or stove.

p.s. If you want to learn more Kitchen hacks, check out this blog post on 7 Kitchen Cleaning Hacks For Things You Aren’t Cleaning Often Enough and How to keep produce fresh longer

The post How to Organize Pots and Pans: 6 Practical Options appeared first on Cozy Home Hacks.

That’s why lately (in the last few years, ever since I started using it more often) I’ve acquired a number of kitchen cleaning hacks that have helped keep my space looking nice and clean. (even though I probably missed some spots, if you looked closely)

The key is to never do everything all at once, but instead allocate days (or weeks or months) to different parts of your kitchen (or categories). For example, you could have an easy cleaning schedule that looks like this:

• Clean the garbage can once a month
• Deep clean your microwave and oven once per quarter, so every three months
• Do a self care day for all your wooden tools (utensils, cutting board, you name it) every six months

This way, it won’t be overwhelming, and you will still get things done. Moreover, not everything named below has to be cleaned every day or week, so you can definitely spread it out, so it doesn’t seem too much to do. 

So, what are these cool kitchen cleaning hacks I’m talking about? Well, I’m going to help you clean things you probably haven’t cleaned in a while…OR EVER. (like I did with the cutting boards, until recently)

Some might be obvious (microwave, garbage can), while others might not be (wooden utensils, toaster). 

Either way, you HAVE to clean the following 7 things, because you use them everyday and they do accumulate germs (some more than others). 

So let’s start cleaning!

Actually, before you start, make sure your cleaning supplies are on hand. Things like dish soap, baking soda, paper towels, a spray bottle, rubber gloves, a microfiber cloth, your fave commercial cleaning products.

Here are 7 Kitchen Cleaning Hacks for things you aren’t cleaning often enough (or ever):

1. Clean and sanitize your garbage can

This is actually one of the most important and most urgent tasks on the list, because that place can get really dirty, really fast. Like, for example, if something spills from the bag or the bag rips when you take it out, and pieces fall back in the can. 

So, how to clean a garbage can? 

• First, remove any bag from it, it has to be empty. (duh)
• Then fill it with hot water, in which you can add soap and/or vinegar. 
• I suggest letting it soak for at least an hour, but 15-30 minutes should also do the trick. 
• Empty it out, then wipe it with a towel or let it air-dry, if you can.
• After it’s all dry, you just put a new garbage bag and you’re done!

2. Clean the microwave with lemons

Your microwave is probably dirty AF right now. It probably has grease stains, and dried up tomato sauce stains on the sides. It NEEDS to be cleaned. 

How to clean a microwave:

• Pour the juice of one lemon in a bowl of water and microwave it for 3 minutes.
• Wait for another 3 minutes.
• Then wipe down the interior of the microwave with a sponge. You can even use the water-lemon solution to wipe the interior, just make sure it’s not too hot. 

3. How to clean a toaster

I learned my lesson the hard way when it comes to toasters. I realized toasters retain crumbs and get dirty after a small roach invasion made my life miserable for a couple of weeks, and one of the infestation areas was the toaster area. So don’t make my mistake, and learn how to clean a toaster: 

• Unplug it. (duh)
• Use a toothbrush or something similar to dislodge all the crumbs inside the machine.
• Then shake the toaster over a trash can, or in the sink, and try to get as many out as possible. 
• Also remove and empty the crumb tray at the bottom. 
• The last step is to wipe the exterior with a cloth dipped in water or diluted vinegar. 

4. Clean your wooden utensils 

Did you know that too much water in the wooden kitchen tools can create mildew? That’s why it’s recommended to not soak them or put them in the dishwasher. 

If you want to clean them properly, do the following:

• Hand wash the wooden utensils with hot water and soap. 
• Hand dry them with a towel.
• Cut a lemon in half or quarter, then rub the wooden tools with the lemon to reduce bad smells. 
• If you really want to pamper them, rub a light layer of vegetable oil on them. 

5. Clean and organize your fridge

If you see this step and think to yourself “Oh, I already do this weekly/monthly”, then good for you. That means less work 🙂 

But if you’re lazy or haven’t even thought that the fridge needs cleaning, too, here are some easy steps:

• Empty your fridge, and while you’re doing it, throw out expired items or that you will definitely not consume in the future. 
• Wipe down the whole interior of the fridge with a sponge or some all-purpose cleaner and a cloth.
• Dry it with a clean towel.
• Put back the food, as nicely and organized as you can, so you can make your life easier (and prettier) in the next few days.

6. Your cutting board needs attention, too

Similarly to your wooden kitchen tools, the cutting board needs some cleaning (and love), too.  Here’s how to clean a cutting board:

• Sprinkle the board with chunky or coarse salt.
• Cut half a lemon, then squeeze the juice over the board.
• Use the other half of the lemon to rub the board (use the flesh side on it).
• Let it dry in a sunny spot, like outside, or facing a window.
• Wipe it down with a cloth or napkin, to get all the salt off, then rub some coconut oil on it.
• Let it dry for another 15 minutes, then wipe down the excess with a cloth or napkin. 

TA DA! 

7. How to clean the oven

This is not a difficult process, but it does take time. Let me tell you how to do it:

• Open the door and remove the oven racks.
• Mix ½ cup of baking soda with a little water until a paste is formed.
• Rub that paste on the oven’s “stubborn” spots.
• Let it sit overnight.
• Then the next morning, with a damp cloth, wipe away everything you can (paste, crumbs, dislodged greasy bits, etc)
• Spray some all-purpose cleaner (or water) all over the over, then wipe everything down with dry cloth until there are no bits left and everything feels and looks clean. 

So here are the 7 kitchen cleaning hacks that will help you keep a clean kitchen over time. What’s your least favorite task out of all these 7? Let me know in the comments!

The post 7 Kitchen Cleaning Hacks For Things You Aren’t Cleaning Often Enough (OR EVER!) appeared first on Cozy Home Hacks.

It’s a struggle to buy fresh ingredients and to store them properly, so that they don’t get bad too fast. Let’s be honest, most of us don’t consume fresh produce in time, so we are bound to have some items go bad on us. 

Luckly, there are ways to prevent that (or limit the amount of times it happens). It all starts with meal planning, but it’s mostly about knowing how to properly store fruits and veggies. 

I’ve compiled a list of tips & tricks on how to keep produce fresh longer. The majority was learned by me the hard way, but some were passed down by my mother and grandmother. 

Here is how to make potatoes, onions, avocados and fruit last longer. Let’s go! 

How to keep produce fresh longer 101

The number one advice I can give you, the one that will change your life for the better, is to MEAL PLAN. 

Just plan your meals ahead of time, for a week, and buy accordingly. This is the most important tip, because this will help you buy only what you need, so you won’t have extra items lying around, with no purpose. That results in less food to waste or to go bad. 

But if you do find yourself with unused produce in the fridge or pantry, here is how to keep produce fresh longer. 

How to make avocados last longer. 

This had to go first because avocados are the bane of my existence when it comes to buying and keeping produce fresh longer. I always buy them unripe and wait too long to eat them, or I cut them too late and they’re already gone.

So I’ve learned my lesson over time. Here is how to make avocados last longer:

• If you have ripe avocados, but are not ready to eat them yet, you can place them in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 extra days, that will keep them fresh. 
• If the avocado is not ripe yet, you should leave it on the countertop. Just make sure to check the ripeness level each day until it’s ready to eat.
• If you already cut the avocado in half, but only used one half, squeeze some lemon juice on the unused half, cover with cling wrap and put it in the refrigerator. 

How to make potatoes last longer

Potato storage was one of my biggest shocks. I used to refrigerate them (it was easier for me to store them that way). But I recently found out that cold temperatures make them more carcinogenic when fried or roasted. So they should NOT be stored in the fridge or the freezer. 

Another thing you should know is that potatoes need airflow to prevent moisture, because that spoils them. So you should avoid placing them into an airtight container. Instead, store potatoes in an open bowl, in a dark and cool place. 

Also, if you want to know how to make potatoes last longer, you should make sure to purchase fresh and healthy ones. Look for potatoes that are firm, smooth, blemish-free and with no signs of sprouting.

How to make carrots last longer

Carrots, similar to beetroots, are pretty easy to preserve. Just cut the green tops when you bring them home, then wash and slice them anyway you want. Store carrots in the fridge, in an airtight container.

How to make onions last longer

In order to keep onions fresh, you need to know they should be stored similarly to potatoes, but NOT in the same place. 

Here is how to make onions last longer:

• Do not refrigerate. Instead, store in a cool, dark place with low humidity in your house.
• Allow air circulation, so don’t use an airtight container; place them in an open bowl.
• As I previously mentioned, keep separate from potatoes and sweet potatoes.

How to make salad / lettuce / spinach/ leafy greens last longer

Leafy greens used to be the first thing to go bad in my fridge. That’s why I researched high and low on how to make leafy greens like lettuce, salad and spinach, to last longer. 

My preferred method (but not always the most advertised one online) is to wash the leafy greens, cut them, and then put them in airtight containers in the fridge, with paper towels in the containers in order to absorb moisture. In my experience, that usually makes them last 4 days, up to a week.

How to make fruit last longer

When it comes to fruits, there are many tips & tricks on how to make fruit last longer. It all depends on the type of fruit. Here are the most common ways to make fruit last longer:

• Store chopped fruits in airtight containers. It will help keep their moisture and their crispness.
• Keep berries fresh for longer with this trick. Pour in a bowl one part vinegar (white or apple cider) and ten parts water. Swirl the berries around in the bowl mixture, drain, rinse, and put them in the fridge. The berries will last for a week or more.
• Store apples (and potatoes) away from other produce. The ethylene gas they produce will help ripe the produce close to it, so make sure to keep them separate (in a paper bag, preferably)
• Buy green or bright yellow bananas, don’t go directly to the ripe ones. The ripe ones will go bad faster. I recommend you can buy a mix of both: half (the green or bright yellow bananas) you plan to eat in the next 2 days, and the other half (muddy yellow or with spots) to be consumed the 2-4 days after that. 

Other tips & tricks to make food last longer

• Store peanut butter jars upside down. This way, the oil will not separate from the rest.
• Buy items with a longer shelf life. When you go to the store to buy yoghurt, for example, check the label of the first product you see, then move around some items, and take one from the backs. Odds are that one has a longer shelf life, because it’s from another shipment, so get that one.
• Don’t buy items that expire in 1-2 days. You will most likely not eat them right away.

Bottom line, if you want to make food last longer, you need to buy fresh and store them correctly, according to their needs. 

I hope this helped! Do you have any other tips & tricks on how to keep produce fresh longer? 

P.S. If you want to be smart about your grocery shopping, besides meal planning, you need to know how to save money on groceries!

The post How to keep produce fresh longer – It’s all about the storage! appeared first on Cozy Home Hacks.